But for a while at Monday’s Atlantic City drive, there were no blood types of any kind. Several appointments made for the morning – usually the busiest period – came and went, and 10 staff members sat at tables talking as equipment stood unused, post-donation snacks went uneaten, and everyone waited. “It’s extremely unusual,” team supervisor Jim Gallagher said. “We usually get 25 to 30 a day typically in the Penn-Jersey region.”

Search the News and you’ll see that blood supply is low in many areas of the country. Much of this is due to the harsh weather; many blood drives have been canceled due to the snow. “The ongoing winter storms and freezing temperatures have resulted in thousands of uncollected blood and platelet donations,” the Penn-Jersey Red Cross blood site reads.